Pan guideway for rotary mining head



Oct. 4, 1955 c. E. COMPTON 2,719,708

A PAN GUIDEWAY FOR ROTARY MINING HEAD Filed Sept. 22, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet l OCL 4, 1955 c. E. COMPTON PAN GUIDEWAY FOR ROTARY MINING HEAD ets-Sheet 2 3 She 2 Il f m A 3 L 2, Vmuullwullulhlmnmwmnluwwwnlnl 5.125

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INVENTOR CHARLES E.CoMPToN oct. 4, 1955 C. E. CQMPON 2,719,708

PAN GUIDEWAY FOR ROTARY MINING HEAD Filed Sept. 22, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTQR CHARLES E. COMPTON United StatesPatent O This, invention relates` tozminingfmachines comprising a carriage, a supporting structure along which the carriage is adapted to be advanced, a miningA `head operatively' coupled to the carriage, means; for rotating the head and meansfor advancing the carriage `along the supporting structure to propel the head into a body of material to be mined while the head rotates.v '1 The invention contemplates the provision of' a pan underlying the head at the end ofthe machine toward which the carriage advances and forming aY guideway'.

In machines of theA type.` inl question the coupling be.-

tween the mining head' and the carriage is not perfectly rigid. Consequently, asthe carriage advances at. the beginning of. a mining operation before the mining head has` entered the body of material to be mined there may be a slight sagging of the mining head resulting in starting a holein the materiali to be minedwhose axis i-s not exactly parallel to thedirection of movement of the carriage. I provide fork guiding the head as itis propelled to and intothe body of' material to be mined by utilizing a pilot pan underlying the head'. The pilot` pan may' be connected with the supporting structure ofthe machine and may project forwardly thereof; It guides the mining head sufficiently to obviate sagging: prior tothe time when the `head entersl the body of material to be mined and thereby in effect forms itsownguide. l

The pan forms a guideway extending inthe direction of advance of the carriage underlying the head. The

guideway is a guideway for the head before the head lenters the body of material to be mined as above explained. It may also serve as a guideway for material expelled from the body of materialto be mined byy operation of the mining head; I` preferably mount the pan Aadvanceably in the'supportingA structure Vso that it may" be advanced to span the gap between the supporting structure andthe body of material to be mined to serve as a support for `materialpassing from the body v of material toward the mach-ine.v l' preferably prov-ide means for advancing the pani in Vthey direction of advance of the carriage to a position in whichk the forward edge of the pan is in immediate proximity toV the body of material" to be mined.- u

The supporting structure preferably carries guide means and the pan -is` preferably disposed in guided relationship to the guide means'for movement in the direction of adv'ance'of'the carria'geto a location in which the for-wardedge of' the pani'sl in the desired operative position. The pan may be'made of steel plate which may be of heavy enough gauge to besubstantially rigid, .or it may be made or lighter material? appropriately reinforced. The pan in any eventis strong and rigid enough to perform the above ascribed functions.

AThe mining machine may be provided withf' a conveyor forconveying away thematerial'.' expelled from'thef body of material tobe mined'by the rotating-Vandvadvancing mining head. The pan forms'a Iguid 'c'eway extending in the direction of` advanceY of the Vcarriage underlying the head and projecting forwardly of the supporting struc- Cil 2,719,708 "Paieniedocf.-4, 1955.

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ture receiving the expelled material andsu-pporti-ng it in its movement'to the conveyor. Rotationof the mining head moves the expelledv material rearwardly in the guideway provided by lthe pan.,

The pan may have an opening through th'e bottom thereof at the rearward'portion thereof to permit material moving along the pan tofdropthrough. theopening onto theY conveyor. The opening hasaits-primary utility when the pan .is in retracted p sition,n.` e., notar#A vanced toward the body of materialytorbe mined. When the pan is in fully retracted position its real end, may be abovevthe conveyor and toprevent the pan fr omrtle livering its material past the conveyor the opening through its bottom is provided. When the pan is prog jected toward the body of material to he mined, the material propelled away Vfrom the body of materialgto be mined passes alongtbe pan'and thence along.aspor-y tion ofy the supportingv structure to the conveyor." l Y Means are preferably provided which are:.connected with the supporting st-ructure and withV the pan Vforwad-` vancing the pan relatively to the supporting-structure in the direction of advance ofl the` carriage. Inv the lform of structure shown in the drawingsV suchmeans comprises a pair of hydraulic jacks connected with the; supf porting structure'and with the pan atoppositesides there@ of.

Other details, objects and advantages ofthe. invention will become apparent` as the` following description of a present preferred embodiment thereof. proceeds.

In the accompanyingdrawings 'I have.y shown apresent preferred embodiment of the inventionin-"which Figure l isa side elevational view of; a miningma.-

chine showing the, machine engagedin aminingoperf ation;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan viewtofenlarged scale of the forward portiony ofthe mining; machine shown in Figure 1 but, for clarity of showing, omittingthe mining head and the transverse conveyor;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view/of" the structure shown in Figure 2,.also showing a portion of. the'carriage for advancing the mining head and indicatingthe posi;- tion of the mining head inv chain'lines; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the structure; shown in Figure 2 but with aportion cut away.

Referring now more particularly to theV drawings, the mining machine may be of the general type shown in my Patentv No. 2,616,677 and my copending applications Serial Nos. 202,898, led December 27, 1950, and 308,369, led September 8, 1952. The supporting struc;- turemay comprisea massive elongated frame 10 having side structural memberslI rigidlyjoined at the rear ends thereof' by a bolster- 12' welded or otherwise affixed' to the structural members 11. At spaced intervals toward the forward end A13 of the frame 10 spanning structural members 14 in the form of plates having a generallyrein.-

vert or convex downwardly profile are also joinedtoth'e n respective side structural members 11y by welding or otherwise. Thus the frame V10 is generally trough# shaped with the forward end 13 thereof open.A 'A pan 15 which is convex downwardly and concave upwardly lits the profile ofthe plates 14` and is vconnectedv with'the plates as by welding. The upper edges ofthe pan 15 are aixed to the side structural members V111. The various frame members such as the side structural members 1l may be tubular and I prefer to make them of well casing pipe `which is of optimum strength. The frame maybe supported on pontoons P on which it may be moved from place to place during use.

The mining machine comprises a carriagek designated generally by C and' has a mining head H operatively coupled thereto at its forward end'. Means comprising a motor M carried bythe carriage are provided for rotating the head so that when the carriage is advanced along the supporting structure or frame the mining head can while rotating be propelled forwardly of the frame and into a coal seam or other body of material to be mined. A lcoal seam is designated S in Figure 1. The mining head maybe of the character of the heads of my Patents Nos. v2,562,841 and 2,594,256, comprising a portion for severing material from the body of material being mined and a portion for conveying rearwardly the severed material. The length of the mining head H may be increased by inserting conveyor sections. Since the present invention does not residein the structure of the mining head or the means for rotating it that structure and means are notv shown and described in detail. Y

The supporting structure or frame is provided with opposed tracks 16 which open toward each other and which receive' rollers 17 mounted in the carriage C on vertical shafts 18 and projecting'laterally from the carriage into the tracks 16. The rollers 17 thus support the carriage for guided movement along the frame. ln operation the carriage. is advanced a certain distance-toward the material being mined when the mining head is uncoupled from the carriage and the carriage is retracted and an additional conveyor section inserted whereafter the carriage is' again advanced while the mining head is rotated. The cycle may be repeated a number of times so that a hole may be drilled into the material being mined for a distance of several hundred feet although the conveyor sections may have a length of Athe order of twenty or thirty feet. The material being mined is delivered out of the hole by the head H and is removed by a conveyor J. The pan has a cut out portion K to accommodate the conveyor J. After the hole has been drilled to the desired depth with recovery of the material therefrom the carriage is alternately retracted to pull the mining head out of the hole and, after removal of a conveyor section, advanced, recoupled to the mining head and again retracted, the cycle being repeated until the mining head has been completely removed from the hole.

l mount in the carriage C a shaft 19 extending transversely of the direction of movement ofthe carriage, the shaft being journaled in fixed bearings for rotation. Fixed to the shaft 19 are two drums 20, one adjacent each side of the carriage. Each of the drums is of generally cylindrical shape but preferably has a groove 21 in its outer generally cylindrical surface, the groove 21 extending about the drum and progressing axially thereof like a screw thread. The groove 21 is shaped to tit the contour of an elongated flexible element shown as being a wire rope although otherV equivalent elements maybe employed. Fixed to the shaft 19 is a driving sprocket 22. Mounted in the carriage Yis an oil motor 23 connected through a transmission 24 to a gear reducer 25 having a shaft 26 parallel to the shaft'l9 and carrying a sprocket 27 coplanar with the sprocket 22. A sprocket chain 28 extends about and meshes with the sprockets 22 and 27 whereby the motor 23 rotates the shaft 19. Provision is made either in the motor or in the transmission for driving the shaft 19 in either direction as desired.

A wire rope 29 extends generally longitudinally of the frame adjacent each side of the carriage. Each end of each of the wire ropes 29 is connected to the frame adjacent an end thereof through a resilient connector 30, there being four such resilient connectors, one for each end of each of the two wire ropes. Thus when the shaft 19 is driven the respective wire ropes will be wound up on the drum in one direction and payed out from the drum in the opposite direction, thereby moving the carriage along the frame. The driving means for the carriage is claimed in my copending application Serial No.

308,369, led September 8, 1952.

Fastened to the upper face of the pan 15 adjacent the forward end of the machine are opposed longitudinally extending guides 31 which may as shown in Figure 3 be made up of steel plates welded together and to the pan.

Each of the guides 31 has an inwardly open throat 32. Mounted at the forward end of the machine and Vunderlying the head H is a shorter pan 33 which is upwardly open and forms a guideway extending in the direction of advance of the carriage C. The pan 33 may be made of a bent steel plate and has attached to the outer face thereof longitudinally extending flanges 34 entering the throats 32 of the respective guides 31 so that the pan 33 is guided by the guides 31 for longitudinal movement. Only sufficient clearance is provided for the anges 34 in the guides 31 to permit of longitudinal movement of the pan 33. Thus the pan is by the guides rather accurately positioned for movement longitudinally of the machine. One of the members -35 of each guide 31 has its inner edge spaced slightly outwardly from the outer edge of the corresponding ange 34 whereby the pan 33 is maintained centered and its movement in a substantially straight line longitudinally of the machine is insured. The bottom of the pan 33 is supported and guidedu'pon a saddle 33a mounted on the pan 15 centrally at the bottom thereof. I. I

For moving the pan 33 longitudinally of the machine I provide two hydraulic jacks 36 each connected 'withthe pan 33 at 37. and with the pan 15 at 38. VSuitable control means are provided for the jacksso that they are operated synchronously. The hydraulic jacks operate to move "the pan 33 longitudinally of themachine while being guided 'i by the guides 31`and the saddle 33a. In Figures 2 and-4 the pan 33 is shown as being inl its fully retracted position, i. e., the position in Whichit is withdrawn rearwardly to the fullest extent,.while in Figurepl the pan is shown advanced with its forward edgein contact with the seam S. It may be advanced to any desired position within the limits prescribed by the length of the jacks 36.

When the head H is in retracted positionit lies upon the pan 33. During the initial forward movement `of the head before the head enters the body'of material to be mined it is guided by the pan 33. As the head H advances thepan 33 may be advanced by the jacks 36 so as to continue to guide the head until the head enters the body of material to be mined whereafter the head is guided by the bore which itmakes in thebody of material to be mined. The pan 33 may be advanced until its forward edge is in immediate proximity to the body of material to be mined. YNormally it will be thrust forward by the jacks 36 until its forward edge engages and presses against the body of material to be mined immediately below the hole formed v'therein by the head H as shown in Figure 1. Thus the pan 33 forms a guideway extending in the direction of advance of the carriage which projects forwardly of the supporting structure and receives the material expelled by `the head and supports it in its rearward movement, i. e., in its movement away from the body of material to be mined.

The pan 1S is cut away betweenI the lines `39 and 4 viewing Figures 2 and 4 to provide the cut out portion or opening K and the conveyor I has a portion positioned beneath the opening thus formed.V The material-removed from the body of material to be mined by the head H is conveyed rearwardly bythe conveying portion of the head and is guided by the pan 33 until it drops through the opening K in the pan 15 whence it is conveyed away by the conveyor I. When lthe pan 33 is projected forwardly the material maybe guided first by the pan 33 and then by the pan 15 -before it-drops onto the conveyor I. To provide for large lumps of material dropping onto the conveyor .T when thepan 33 is` fully retracted the pan has an opening 41 through the bottom thereof at the rearward portion 'thereof as shown in Figures `2 and 4.

Thus the pan 33 may perform a dual function,.being first a pilot pan for the head H to guide the head as it is propelled to and into the body ofgmatcrial to be mined and forming thereafter aguideway extending longitudinally of the machine for guiding rearwardly the material removed from the body of material to be mined by the head H as operation of the head forces that material rearwardly. In other words, the pan 33 constitutes a guideway first for the head andl then for the mined material. In its capacity as a guideway for the head it insures entry ofthe head into the body of material to be mined at the proper angle. In its capacity as a guideway for the mined material it obviates spillage of a considerable quantity of the mined material upon the ground outside the hole being formed by the head H in the body of material to be mined. Thus the recovery of an unprecedented'proportion of the mined material is obtained without cleaning up outside the hole. Also, the depositing of mined material outside the hole which might interfere with movement of the machine along the body of material to be mined is obviated.

While I have shown anddescribed a present preferred embodiment' of the invention it is. to be distinctly under` stood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim: A

1. In a mining machine comprising a carriage, a supporting structure along which the carriage is adapted to be advanced, a mining head operatively coupled tothe carriage, means for rotating the head and means for advancing the carriage along the supporting structure to propel the head into a body of material to be mined while the head rotates, an upwardly open pilot pan at the end of the machine toward which the carriage advances whose central portion underlies the `headin contact with the head and thereby guides the head as it is propelled to and into the body of material to be mined, the head having means which while the head rotates deliver material being mined to the pilot pan.

2,. In a mining machine comprising a carriage, a supporting structure along which the carriage is adapted to be advanced, a mining head operatively coupled to the carriage, means for rotatingthe head andl means for advancing the carriage along the supporting structure to propel the head into a body of material to be mined while the head rotates,Y an upwardly open pilot pan at the end of the machine toward which the carriage advances whose central portion underlies the head in contact with the head and thereby guides the head as it is propelled to and into the body of material to be mined, the pilot pan being mounted in the supporting structure, the head having means which while the head rotates deliver material being mined to the pilot pan.

3. In a mining machine comprising a carriage, a supporting structure along which the carriage is adapted to be advanced, a mining head operatively coupled to the carriage, means for rotating the head and means for advancing the carriage along the supporting structure to propel the head into a body of material to be mined while the head rotates, an upwardly open pilot pan at the end of the machine toward which the carriage advances whose central portion underlies the head in contact with the head and thereby guides the head as it is propelled to and into the body of material to be mined, the pilot pan being advanceably mounted in the supporting structure so that it may be advanced to span the gap between the supporting structure and the body of material to be mined to serve as a support for material passing from the body of material toward the machine.

4. In a mining machine comprising a carriage, a supporting structure along which the carriage is adapted to be advanced, a mining head operatively coupled to the carriage, means for rotating the head and means for advancing the carriage along the supporting structure to propel the head into a body of material to be mined while the head rotates, an upwardly open pan forming a guideway extending in the direction of advance of the carriage and whose central portion underlies the head in contact with the head and thereby guides the head as it is propelled to and into the body of material to be mined 6 v t and means for advancing the pan in the direction o f ,advance ofthe carriage to a position inwhich theforward edge of the pan is in immediate. proximity 'to thebody of'materi'al' to be mined. x i

5. in a mining machine comprising Aa carriage,V a' sup` porting structure along which the carriage is adapted to be advanced, a mining head operatively coupled to the carriage, means for rotating the head andlmeans for ad-I vancingV the carriage alongfthe supporting Vrstructureto propel the head in to a body of material to, bev mined while the head rotates, guideineans carried by the supporting structure and an upwardly openpan forming. a gui'deway extending. in they directionof advance of the carriageand Whose centralportion underlies the. head in contact with the`headfvandthereby guidesfthe headas it is propelled tojand into the body of material to be mined, the pan being in guided relationship to the guide means for movement in the direction of' advance of the carriagerto a position in which the forward 'edge of the pan is vin immediate proximity to the body ofy material to-be mined.

.6. In amining machine `comprising a carriage, fa supporting structure along which the carriage is adapted to be advanced, a mining head operatively coupled tothe Y carriage, means for rotating the head', means ,for/'facil vancing the carriagek along the supporting Astructure "to propel `the head into a body of' material to berminedwhi'le the head rotates and thereby expel material frolnsaid body and a conveyorfor conveying away the thusA expelled material,y anyupwardly open pan forminglva guidewayr extending in `tl'le direction of` advance ofA the carriage and whose central portion underlies the head in contact with the headand thereby` guides the head as it is ,propelled toandj into the body of material `to be mined, the pan projecting forwardly of the. supporting structure reeeiving the expelled material andV supporting it in its movement to the conveyor. l 7, Ina mining machine comprising `a carriage, a supporting'structure alongY which thewcarriage is adapted `to be advanced, a mining head operatively coupled to the carriage, means for rotating the head, means for advancing the carriage along the supporting structure to p ropel the head into aV body of material to be mined while the head rotates land thereby expel material from said body and' a. Conveyor for conveying away'the Atlius expelled material, an upwardly open pan forming'.V a guidevway extending in the direction of advance of the carriageand rwhose central portion underlies the head in lcontact with the head and thereby guides thehead as it isV propelled to and into tliebody of'material `to be mined, the pan projecting forwardly of the supporting structure receiving the expelled material and supporting it in its movement to the conveyor, the pan having an opening through the bottom thereof at the rearward portion thereof above a portion of the conveyor to permit material moving along the pan to drop through the opening onto the conveyor.

8. In a mining machine comprising a carriage, a supporting structure along which the carriage is adapted to be advanced, a mining head operatively coup'led to the carriage, means for rotating the head, means for advancing the carriage along the supporting structure to propel the head into a body of material to be mined while the head rotates and thereby expel material from f said body and a conveyor for conveying away the thus expelled material, an upwardly open pan forming a guideway extending in the direction of advance of the carriage and whose central portion underlies the head in contact with the head and thereby guides the head as it is propelled to and into the body of material to be mined, the pan projecting forwardly of the supporting structure receiving the expelled material and supporting it in its movement to the conveyor and guide means on the sup'- porting structure supporting the pan for movement in the direction of advance of the carriage so that the pan may be advanced to a position in which its forward edge is in immediate proximity to the body of material to be mined.

' 9. In a mining machine comprising a carriage, a supporting structure along which the carriage is adapted to be advanced, a mining head operatively coupled to the carriage, means for rotating the head and means for advancing the carriage along the supporting structure to propel the head into a body of material to be mined while the head rotates, an upwardly open pan forming a guideway extending in the direction of advance of the carriage at the end of the machine toward which the carriage advances and whose central portion underlies the head in contact with the head 'and thereby guides the head as it is propelled to and into the body of material to be mined and means connected Vwith the supporting structure and with the pan for advancing the pan relatively to the supporting structure in the direction of advance of the carriage.

10. In a mining machine comprising a carriage, a supporting structure along which the carriage is adapted to be advanced, a mining head operatively coupled to the carriage, means for rotating the head and means for advancing the carriage along the supporting Structure to propel the head into a body of material to be mined while the head rotates, guide means carried by the supporting structure, an upwardly open pan forming a guideway eX- tending in the direction of advance of the carriagerat the end of the machine toward which the 'carriage advanc'es and Whose central portion underlies the head in contactkwith the head and thereby guides the head as it ispropelled to and into the body of material to be mined, the pan being in guided relationship to the guide means for movement in the direction of advance of the carriage and means connected with the supporting structure and with the pan for advancing the pan relatively to the supporting structure in the direction of advance of the carriage.

ll. In a mining machine comprising a carriage, a supporting structure along which the carriage is adapted to be advanced, a mining head operatively coupled to the carriage, means for rotating the head and means for advancing the carriage along the Supporting structure to prop'el the head into a body of material to be mined while the head rotates, guide means carried by the supporting structure, an upwardly open pan forming a guideway extending in the direction of advance of the carriage at the end of the machine toward which the carriage advances and whose central portion underlies the head in contact with the head and thereby guides the head as it is propelled to and into the body of material to-be mined, the pan being `in guided 4relationship to the guide means forrnov'ement in thefdirection of advance of the carriage and a pair of hydraulic jacksl connected with the Supporting Structure/andl withkthe pan'at op# posite sides thereof for advancing theA pan relatively 5to the supporting structureV in the direction of advance of the carriage. M `f 1 12. In a mining machine comprising a carriage,"a snp:` porting structure along which the carriage is adapted to be advanced, a mining head operatively coupled'toth'e' carriage, means for rotatingithelhead and meansforl` advancing the carriage along` thel supporting structure topropel the head into a body of` materialv to be mined while the head rotates, an upwardly'open pari forming a guideway extending in the direction lof advanceof the carriage at the end of the machine towardwhichthe carriage advances and whose central portion underlies the head in contact with the head1 and thereby guides Vthe head as it is npropelled to and into the bodyV ofr'iiaterial to be mined, a saddle mounted on the supporting'strucf ture and underlying the pan in snppor'tingand 'guiding relationship theretovand means for moving the 'pangeaerally in the direction'of advance of the carriagei i i3. ln a mining ymachine comprising a carriage, afsp` porting structure along ywhich YtheV carriage is adapted to be advanced, a mining head operatively coupled to the carriage, means for rotating the head'and means for adi vancing the carriage along the supporting's'tructure to propel the head into a body of material to be mined while the head rotates, an upwardly Vopenpany forming a guideway extending in the direction of advance ofthe carriage at the end or the machine Vtoward which the'fcarriage advances and whose central portion underlies'` the head in contact with the head and thereby guides the head as it is propelled to and .into the body of material to be mined,rsupporting and guiding means for the; pan carried by the supporting structure cooperating with the pan in the region of its bottom andin the regions of its sides and means for moving the pan generally inthel direction of advance of the carriage. Y Y

References Cited in the file o'f thispatentt UNITED STATES PATENTS f 866,839. Brown Sept. 24, 1907 964,074 White et al.' July 12,1910 1,812,719. Schroder `June,30, 19371 1,835,191 f Tilly Dec.'` 8,1931 1,939,673 Driehaus "Dec.` 19, 1933 

